Robert Lewandowski broke a record previously held by Lionel Messi, becoming the player to score against the most different teams in the Champions League. On 18/3, during the second leg of the round of 16, Lewandowski scored a brace against Newcastle, securing a 7-2 victory for Barca. This achievement brought his tally to 41 different teams, surpassing Messi's previous record of 40. Cristiano Ronaldo ranks third in this statistic, having scored against 38 teams.

The Polish star, at 37 years and 209 days old, also set two other records: becoming the oldest player to score a brace in a Champions League match and the oldest player to score in a Champions League knockout stage match.

Lewandowski celebrates a goal during Barca's 7-2 victory over Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16 second leg on 18/3. Photo: NP

In terms of overall Champions League goals, Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 140 goals, followed by Lionel Messi with 129 goals. Lewandowski ranks third with 109 goals. The Polish striker still has at least two quarter-final matches this season, as Barca faces Atletico, providing opportunities to increase his tally.

Lewandowski began his Champions League career in 2011. Since then, he has scored 17 goals for Dortmund, 69 goals for Bayern, and 23 goals for Barca.

Lewandowski's best Champions League season was 2019-2020, when he scored 15 goals and won the title with Bayern. He also reached the final with Dortmund in the 2012-2013 season and the semi-finals with Barca last season. This season, his Champions League performance has seen a decline, with only 4 goals in 9 matches, compared to 11 goals in 13 matches last season. This dip in form is attributed to injury. However, when fit, the 37-year-old star remains the preferred choice as a central striker.

Barca advanced from the round of 16 with an 8-3 aggregate victory over Newcastle. They are scheduled to face Atletico in two quarter-final matches on 7/4 and 15/4. The winner of this tie will proceed to the semi-finals against the winner of the Arsenal - Sporting tie. The other two semi-final pairings are PSG - Liverpool and Real - Bayern.

Thanh Quy (according to Marca)